A group of backcountry skiers triggered an avalanche in the Game Creek drainage on the west slope of the Teton Range. A man and a woman were caught in the avalanche and buried.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
A group of backcountry skiers triggered an avalanche in the Game Creek drainage on the west slope of the Teton Range. A man and a woman were caught in the avalanche and buried. The two were uncovered by their companions. The man was given CPR, but succumbed to his injuries. The woman was conscious and airlifted to a hospital.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Riverton, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 17, 1:17 PM MST, 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 217 PM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday night) Issued at 217 PM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 Most recent storm system has moved off to the southeast today into SE WY and eastern CO after leaving some welcome wet snow to parts of northwest into central WY. Skies are clearing from the northwest to the southeast this afternoon and will be mostly clear this evening. Given the shortwave ridge and recent precipitation moistening the boundary layer, there is a slight chance of fog developing in some of the valleys and basins, though confidence is low at this time. A weak shortwave trough moving onshore over Oregon/northern CA will continue moving eastward and bring high clouds to western WY after midnight. Latest models are indicating a chance of light showers over the northwest WY mountains between 9am and 6pm Friday, possibly reaching the northern half of Jackson Hole as well. Otherwise, the trough will increase cloudiness over the forecast area Friday, aid in developing breezy and gusty west winds over the higher terrain and other locations, and warm temperatures over Thursday's highs due to mixing. Breezy conditions will remain Friday night into Saturday morning in the typical areas, and clouds will be partly cloudy through the night. Brief high pressure then starts to build in Saturday before the next large storm system approaches from the west. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 217 PM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 Ridging prevails over the region on Saturday, with temperatures continuing to warm to slightly above climatological normals. Expect afternoon highs in the 50s east of the Divide and around Rock Springs, while 40s are more likely in the narrower western valleys. A strong longwave trough moves over the Rockies on Saturday night into Sunday. As usual, the first to feel the effects of this trough will be western mountains and valleys. Snow begins for these locations between midnight and sunrise Sunday. Snow could be intense at times with some instability accompanying the cold front. Precipitation begins during the afternoon and evening for areas east of the Divide, and is likely to start as a rain-snow mix before changing over to snow after sunset. Snow ends Sunday night for the far western mountains, but continues into the daytime hours Monday for locations east of the Divide. There is still low confidence in snow forecast details; however, the best estimates at this point would be a few inches for western valleys, and around an inch of snow for the Upper Green River Basin and basins east of the Divide. It's worth noting this system is Pacific in origin, and therefore is not overly cold, meaning that low-elevation snow is unlikely to stick around long. In addition to precipitation, this system will tighten the pressure gradient significantly, leading to gusty winds for most areas. Wind highlights are not expected at this time but widespread 30 to 45 mph gusts seem probable for many Sunday afternoon, even for the typically less windy spots. The wind-prone regions in the western Bighorn Basin and around Casper could see gusts in the 50 mph range. Have increased winds slightly in the latest forecast to account for this aspect of the system. High amplitude ridging prevails for the middle of next week, and temperatures again warm to above average for this timeframe. A shortwave crossing southern Canada could bring showers toward the end of next week, but global models show a wide range of solutions for this period. Stuck with consensus model guidance Thursday onward. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday) Issued at 1130 AM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 Latest storm system has moved off to the southeast this morning, leaving patchy mid-level scattered decks in a few locations. Clouds will be decreasing through the afternoon for mostly clear skies overnight. Winds will only be breezy this afternoon and be relatively mild overnight. Possibility of patchy fog after 18/06Z, though locations not certain - will continue to assess. High clouds will push into western WY around 18/09Z and thicken over NW WY after 18/12Z due to a weak system moving through MT. KJAC likely to see MVFR conditions with lowered ceilings and vicinity showers by 18/18Z. Breezy and gusty west-northwest winds expected at most TAF sites Friday afternoon also as a result. Fairly dry system should only bring scattered light snow showers to the northwest mountains. Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued AT 217 PM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 Recent storm system has moved off to the southeast giving way to brief high pressure over western and central WY. Temps will remain on the cool side today with mild to breezy wind. Mostly clear overnight will see high clouds move into western WY after midnight, and light showers develop over the NW mountains by noon Friday. West- northwest breezy and gusty wind will develop Friday afternoon over much of the area under mostly to partly cloudy skies. Mostly dry conditions are expected with slight warming to near normal temperatures. Saturday will be warmer with weak high pressure; then another decent storm with precipitation potential moves through on Sunday. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...McDonald LONG TERM...VandenBoogart AVIATION...McDonald FIRE WEATHER...McDonald
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 310 AM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 WYZ001>020-022>030-181200- Yellowstone National Park-Absaroka Mountains-Cody Foothills- North Big Horn Basin-Southwest Big Horn Basin- Southeast Big Horn Basin-Owl Creek and Bridger Mountains- Bighorn Mountains West-Bighorn Mountains Southeast- Northeast Johnson County-Southeast Johnson County- Teton and Gros Ventre Mountains-Jackson Hole- Wind River Mountains West-Wind River Mountains East- Upper Wind River Basin-Wind River Basin-Lander Foothills- Green Mountains and Rattlesnake Range- Natrona County Lower Elevations-Casper Mountain-Star Valley- Salt River and Wyoming Ranges-Upper Green River Basin Foothills- Upper Green River Basin-South Lincoln County- Rock Springs and Green River-Flaming Gorge-East Sweetwater County- 310 AM MDT Thu Mar 17 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Saturday Night through Monday...A storm system should bring some accumulating snow mainly over the west Saturday Night and Sunday, then across the east Sunday night and Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
Please see episode for a description.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Teton & Gros Ventre Mountains | 2022-03-17 | 61 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, March 2022
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1014868.